Intermittently flashing warning light

ABSTRACT

An intermittently flashing warning light for motor vehicles having a light-transmitting housing and a window mounting bracket connected to said housing for mounting on the outside of the vehicle, whereby warning light signals are intermittently emitted adjacent and above the roof of the motor vehicle and the vehicle is intermittently illuminated when the device is in operation.

Elite States atent [1 1 Gaetano INTERMITTENTLY FLASHING WARNING LIGHT[76] Inventor: Salvatore Gaetano, 9526 78th Street, Ozone Park, NY. 11416 [22] Filed: Dec. 28, 1971 [21 Appl. N0.: 212,925

[52] US. Cl; ..340/81 R, 240/8.l8, 340/97, 340/380 51 Int. Cl. ..B60q1/52 [58] Field of Search ..240/7.l, 8.18, 8.2,

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,753,117 4/1930 Hosking.340/118 2,237,536 4/1941 Wells ..24()/8.l8 X

2,373,306 4/1945 Gits 340/321 X 2,466,454 4/1949 Logan... ..24()/8.l8 X

2,591,131 4/1952 Brus ..24()/8.l8

[451 Apr. 24, 1973 Primary Examiner-John W. Caldwell AssistantExaminerl(enneth N. Leimer Att0rneySamuel J. Stoll et al.

57 1 ABSTRACT An intermittently flashing warning light for motorvehicles having a light-transmitting housing and a window mountingbracket connected to said housing for mounting on the outside of thevehicle, whereby warhing light signals are intermittently emittedadjacent and above the roof of the motor vehicle and the vehicle isintermittently illuminated when the device is in operation.

1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures Palcntged April 24, 1973 3,729,707

Illllll INVENTOR 52 J'AL Vfl TOPE G/l'TA/VO K HJ/MZORNEYS INTERMITTENTLYFLASHING WARNING LIGHT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Intermittentlyflashing warning lights for motor vehil0 cles are well known to the art.However, they suffer from many deficiencies: For example, when they areportable they cannot readily be mounted from the inside of a motorvehicle. In some instances suction means are provided for mounting suchintermittently flashing warning lights on the roof of a motor vehicle,but this kind of mounting cannot readily be achieved from inside themotor vehicle. For one thing, conventional devices of this kind arerelatively bulky and are usually stored in the trunk compartment of themotor vehicle. It would require leaving the vehicle and opening thetrunk in order to reach such device before it can be put to use. Thereare times and conditions when it is not feasible for the occupant of amotor vehicle to step outside of the vehicle in order to place a warninglight on the roof. Adverse road or weather conditions and poorvisibility might militate against the feasibility of a roof mounting,e.g., when traffic is moving at a high rate of speed immediatelyadjacent a disabled motor vehicle or during a torrential downpour ofrain.

One of the deficiencies of suction-mounted warning lights resides in thefact that suction means cannot always be attached to vinyl roofs or toconventional metal roofs under adverse conditions, e.g., when coatedwith ice or snow. Even under favorable conditions, suction-mountedwarning lights cannot readily and securely be attached to the roof of amotor vehicle without stepping outside the vehicle to do so. Moreover,should it be desired to utilize a warning signal while the vehicle isbeing driven, as when the vehicle is capable of only a slow speed on ahigh-speed highway, a suction-mounted warning light would not befeasible for the purpose, since it cannot always be securely attached tothe vehicle.

In most cases known to applicant, except for built-in warning lightsused on emergency vehicles, intermittently flashing lights arebattery-powered. Needless to say, batteries are sometimes spent whenthey are urgently needed. Furthermore, these flashing warning lights areprovided with only a single bulb, and when the filament ruptures theentire device is inoperative. Furthermore, conventional intermittentlyflashing warning lights perform only the single purpose of emittingwarning signals, e.g., intermittent flashes of red or amber light. Whatthey fail to do is to provide illumination to illuminate the disabledmotor vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides anintermittently flashing warning light which has a window bracket formounting the light on the window of a disabled motor vehicle. All thatneed be done is to partially open the window and clip the presentintermittently flashing warning light thereto. This can be done frominside the motor vehicle and does not require that the occupant step outof the vehicle in order to mount the light.

The present invention further provides an intermittently flashingwarning light which has a clear lighttransmitting housing through whichwhite light is emitted. The same bulb (or bulbs) which provides theintermittent warning signals also provides the white light which isemitted through the housing. Consequently, when the present device is inoperation it not only emits intermittent warning signals but alsointermittently illuminates the motor vehicle on which it is mounted. Thewarning signals warn of the presence ofa disabled vehicle; theillumination shows the nature and proportions of the disabled vehicleand how it is stationed in relation to the road.

The present invention overcomes or eliminates the deficiencies in theprior art as above enumerated. Thus, the present device can be maderelatively small and compact so as to fit into a conventional glovecompartment of a motor vehicle. When needed, it is available to theoccupant of the motor vehicle without stepping outside either to reachfor the device or to mount it. This would be true whether the vehicle isstationary or moving, and regardless of weather or traffic conditions.By plugging it into the cigarette lighter receptacle and clipping it tothe side window of the motor vehicle, it is possible to make use of thepresent device under all normal and adverse conditions. By clipping itto the window and then raising the window to closed position, thepresent device is locked in place and cannot be dislodged even in a highwind or when the motor vehicle is driven over rough pavement. Also,raising the window as indicated elevates the present device to the pointwhere it emits signals adjacent or above roof level. This makes forenhanced visibility.

The preferred form of this device includes two independently operablebulbs connected in parallel. Each includes its own flashing element.Consequently, should either bulb burn out, the other would remainoperable. This is a safety feature which existing flashing warninglights do not possess.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIG. 1 is a view of an intermittentlyflashing warning light. made in accordance with the present inventionand shown mounted on a motor vehicle window.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a top view.

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded view showing one of the lighttransmitting bulb enclosures removed and spaced from the main body ofthe device.

FIG. 5 is a vertical section through said intermittently flashingwarning light.

FIG. 6 is a transverse section on the line 66 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a partially schematic circuit diagram showing a preferred formof intermittently flashing warning light bulbs used in connection withthe present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring now tothe details of the invention as illustrated in the drawing, it will beobserved that an intermittently flashing warning light which embodiesand illustrates the principles of this invention comprises a housing 10,a pair of light bulbs 12 and 14, mountings l6 and 18, respectively, forsaid light bulbs 12 and 14, enclosures 20 and 22, respectively, for saidlight bulbs 12 and 14, an electric cord 24 connected to said lightbulbs, a plug 26 connected to said electric cord, and a bracket 28secured to said housing for mounting on a window 30 of a motor vehicle32. It will be noted in the drawing that plug 26 may be inserted intocigarette lighter receptacle 34 for supplying power from the motorvehicle battery to the two bulbs 12 and 14.

More particularly, housing 10 is made of clear, lighttransmittingplastic material such as the acrylic resins which are made and sold byE. l. DuPont De Nemours under the trademark Lucite and by Rohm & HaasCompany under the trademark Plexiglas. Mountings l6 and 18 are securedto the opposite ends of housing 10. These mountings (or their basesportions alone, as hereinafter mentioned) may also be made of clear,light-transmitting plastics such as the acrylic resins above mentioned,and they may be secured to housing 10 by cement or other conventionalmeans. Mountings l6 and 18 are identical, and each comprises adiscshaped base 40 and an annular flange 42 connected therewith.External screw threads 44 are formed on annular flange 42. Sockets 46are provided on bases 40 to receive light bulbs l2, 14. Conventionalmeans are used for securely attaching the light bulbs, e.g., by means ofbayonet slots, and conventional means are provided for contacting theterminals of the light bulbs and connecting them to electric cord 24.

Enclosures 20 and 22 are colored plastic shells which function as lightfilters with respect to light bulbs 12 and 14. conventionally, theseshgells may be made of red or amber plastics so that red or amber lightmay be flashed. Shells 20 and 22 are internally threaded for engagementwith screw threads 44 on annular flanges 42. It is by this means thatshells 20 and 22 may be secured to mountings l6 and 18, respectively.Conventional light flashing means may be used in the present invention.However, the preferred means, and perhaps the least expensive, isincorporated into light bulbs 12 and 14 as integral parts thereof. Asthe drawing indicates, each light bulb is provided with a pair ofdisconnected resistance filaments 48 and 50, respectively. Filament 48is secured to a thermally responsive element 52 such as a bimetallicelement. Filament 50 has a contact loop 54 formed thereon for engagementwith a thermally responsive element 52 or filament 48 secured thereto.

When plug 26 is inserted into cigarette lighter receptacle 34, lightbulbs12 and 14 will be energized and light will be transmitted throughshells 20 and 22, as well as through mountings l6 and 18 and housing 10.Red or amber light will be emitted through said shells 20 and 22, andwhite light will be emitted through housing 10. The red or amber lightwill provide a warning signal, while the white light will illuminate themotor vehicle on which the'device is mounted. Thermal elements 52 willbe heated and caused to bias away from and out of contact with loops 54on filaments 50. This will interrupt the circuit to each light bulb anddeenergize it. Thermal elements 52 will cool off and reengage contactloops 54, thereby closing the circuit to each light bulb andre-energizing it. This will result in the intermittent emission of lightfrom both light bulbs through shells 20 and 22 and housing 10. There isno necessary synchronization between the operations of the thermalelements ofthe two light bulbs.

Bracket 28 as shown in the drawing merely illustrates the various kindsof brackets that may be used in connection with the present invention.What is important is that bracket 28 is bifurcated to provide a pair ofoppositely disposed arms 56 and 58. The bracket may be placed on a motorvehicle window by inserting the window between the two arms 56 and 58and spring tension will hold the bracket in place thereon. Bracket 28 ispreferably made of metal with sufficient resilience to provide a springclip action in engaging the window. An important feature resides in themanner in which cord 24 is supported by bracket 28. The cord extends asshown by way of example in the drawing, below horizontal portions 60 and62 of bracket 28 and leaves the bracket through hole 64. The cord isthereby protected against pinching between the bracket and the window orwindow frame of the motor vehicle.

The foregoing is illustrative of a preferred form of this invention, andit will be understood that this form may be modified and other formsprovided within the broad scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An intermittently flashing warning light for motor vehiclescomprising:

a. a clear light-transmitting support member;

b. a pair of light bulbs mounted on oppositeends of said support member;

c. each of said bulbs including thermally responsivecircuit-interrupting means;

d. colored light-transmitting shells on opposite ends of the supportmember and enclosing said light bulbs;

e. an electric cord connected to said light bulbs;

f. an electric plug connected to said electric cord for plugging into acigarette lighter receptacle in the motor vehicle; and

g. a bifurcated bracket connected to said support member for mounting ona motor vehicle window,

. whereby h. energizing said electric light bulbs from the motor vehiclepower supply produces intermittent warning signals through the coloredlight-transmitting shells and intermittent illumination of the motorvehicle through said light-transmitting support member.

1. An intermittently flashing warning light for motor vehiclescomprising: a. a clear light-transmitting support member; b. a pair oflight bulbs mounted on opposite ends of said support member; c. each ofsaid bulbs including thermally responsive circuitinterrupting means; d.colored light-transmitting shells on opposite ends of the support memberand enclosing said light bulbs; e. an electric cord connected to saidlight bulbs; f. an electric plug connected to said electric cord forplugging into a cigarette lighter receptacle in the motor vehicle; andg. a bifurcated bracket connected to said support member for mounting ona motor vehicle window, whereby h. energizing said electric light bulbsfrom the motor vehicle power supply produces intermittent warningsignals through the colored light-transmitting shells and intermittentillumination of the motor vehicle through said light-transmittingsupport member.